Supporting stand for optical instruments



July 29, 1952 ENGELMANN 2,604,815

SUPPORTING STAND FOR OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed March 27, 1951 Max INVENTOR.

@ 21 Ufl zjgl Patented July 29, 1952 SUPPORTING STAND FOR OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS Max Engelm-ann,

Wetzlar-on-the -Lahn,

Ger-

many, assignor to Ernst Leitz, G. m. b. H., a

corporation of Germany Application March 27, 1951, Serial No. 217,830 In Germany March 29, 1950 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in supporting stands for optical instruments wherein the stand itself is adjustably inclineable so as to be of particular advantageous use in observing transparent objects by'reflected light.

Optical instruments, such as microscopes, magnifiers and the like, of which the lens assembly or upper portions are detachably mounted upon separate bases are known. It has also been proposed to mount the detached upper portion upon a special foot support which contains the tilting arrangement. However, such tilting arrangement permits only a very limited inclination of the instrument or otherwise the greater weight of the upper parts of the instrument will cause overbalance on the stand and the instrument will fall down.

In order to overcome this trouble the invention provides a stand or base for an optical instrument comprising a table adapted to detachably receive the instrument and provided with at least three legs. Two of the legs are fixed to the front corners of the table. The third leg is hinged to the middle of the rear edge of the table and extends from the table. The rear leg is adapted to be locked to the table so as to support it in a horizontal position and is also adapted to be laid down whereby to support the table in an inclined position. When the third leg is laid down, the weight of the instrument is supported on a broader base and overbalancing is eliminated.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view showing th optical instrument mounted upon the stand according to this invention in a vertical position.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the stand and the instrument inclined.

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, showing how the third leg is hinged to the table.

The optical instrument is shown as being'a magnifier I having a hand grip formed portion 2 with a foot 3. The latter may in known manner be detachably afixed to the table 4, the latter having a socket piece or the like 30. adapted to receive the foot 3. The connection may be in the form of a bayonet joint or screw threaded socket not shown in detail. The table '4 is in the form of a horse shoe having a central opening 412.

The armsof the horse shoe or the forward part of the table 4 carries at each forward corner a fixed leg 5 and underneath the table there is a bracket 1 in which a reflecting mirror 1c is pivoted as will be understood.

In the middle of the rear edge of the table there is pivoted a leg 6 on a pivot 8. The leg is held in normal locked position as shown in Fig. 1 by means of a dog 9 pivoted in the leg at In and locked in a recess l3 in one of the pivot lugs I2 for the pivot 8 by means of a spring II. There may be more than one recess l3 but usually it suffices to be able to adjust the table in one of the two positions shown. When the table is to be inclined as in Fig. 2 the leg 6 is swung outward from the table by first releasing the dog 9 from the recess I3 against the force of the spring H and when the table is thus inclined it rests on a rubber button H! on the leg.

When the table is inclined the instrument I is brought into convenient position for inspecting objects on the stage i5 by means of the reflected light from the mirror 1. The leg 6 which extends to the rear of the instrument forms no obstruction. I claim all such changes and modifications in the disclosed device as come within the principle of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A stand for supporting a microscope in either a vertical or an inclined viewing position comprising a table having a central opening, two front legs afiixed to said table to each side of said opening, two downwardly projecting pivot lugs on said table adjacent its rear edge, a rear leg swingably mounted between said pivot lugs centrally of said opening, a locking pawl pivoted on said rear leg and adapted to releasably engage a recess in one of said pivot lugs to lock said swingable leg thereto when the table is brought into a horizontal position, a spring in said rear leg normally maintaining said pawl in engagement with said recess, said pawl being manually releasable from said recess and said rear leg being manually movable into an outward position with respect to the table to support the latter together with the said front legs when the table is brought into an inclined position, means on the table for supporting a microscope thereupon, and a reflecting mirror secured to the table below the same for illuminating the specimen stage of said microscope through the opening in the table.

MAX ENGELMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 536,552 Swift Mar. 26, 1895 1,04&,8ll Peterson Nov. 19, 1912 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 165,192 Switzerland Jan. 16, 1934 

